Exposure apparatus

Abstract

A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate. The apparatus includes a chuck for holding a substrate, a stage for moving the chuck to align the substrate, a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near the stage with inert gas, the mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of the stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into the cover, and a top plate which is mounted on the stage and has a surface substantially flush with a surface of the substrate. The top plate is arranged to form a gap between the top plate and a side surface of the substrate, a depth of the gap is not less than a width of the gap, and a dimension from the side surface of the substrate to an outer edge of the top plate is larger than that of a substrate-side opening of the cover in a scanning direction.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate, the apparatus comprising: 
       a chuck for holding a substrate;  
       a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;  
       a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover; and  
       a top plate which is mounted on said stage and has a surface substantially flush with a surface of the substrate,  
       wherein said top plate is arranged to form a gap between said top plate and a side surface of the substrate, a depth of the gap is not less than a width of the gap, and a dimension from the side surface of the substrate to an outer edge of said top plate is larger than that of a substrate-side opening of said cover in a scanning direction.  
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a side surface of said chuck has an inclined surface not perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a side surface of a step formed by the surface of said top plate, and a bottom of the gap between the side surface of the substrate and said top plate has an inclined surface not perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a depth of the gap is not less than one mm from the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a difference between the surface of the substrate and the surface of said top plate is not more than four mm. 
     
     
       6. A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate, the apparatus comprising: 
       a chuck for holding a substrate;  
       a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;  
       a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover; and  
       a top plate which is mounted on said stage and has a surface substantially flush with a substrate support surface of said chuck,  
       wherein a dimension from a side surface of the substrate to an outer edge of said top plate is larger than that of a substrate-side opening of said cover in a scanning direction.  
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein 
       said chuck and said top plate are arranged to form a gap between a side surface of said chuck and said top plate, and  
       said exposure apparatus further comprises a vent hole which communicates with the gap and is larger in volume than the gap.  
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein an interval between a side surface of said chuck and said top plate is small at an upper portion of said chuck and is larger at a lower portion of said chuck. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising a supply port for supplying gas into the gap formed between a side surface of said chuck and said top plate. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising a vent hole which makes the gap formed between a side surface of said chuck and said top plate communicate with the surface of said top plate. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising a vent hole which makes the gap formed between a side surface of said chuck and said top plate communicate with an opening formed in a side surface of said stage. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein an angle defined by the side surface having the opening and a scan direction of said stage is not more than thirty degrees. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein a side surface of said chuck has an inclined surface not perpendicular to a surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein a difference in level between the substrate support surface of said chuck and the surface of said top plate is not more than three mm. 
     
     
       15. A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate, the apparatus comprising: 
       a chuck for holding a substrate;  
       a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;  
       a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover; and  
       a top plate which is mounted on said stage and has a surface substantially flush with a surface of said stage on which said chuck is held,  
       wherein a dimension from a side surface of the substrate to an outer edge of said top plate is larger than that of a substrate-side opening of said cover in a scanning direction.  
     
     
       16. The apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein a difference in level between the surface of said top plate and the surface of said stage on which said chuck is held is not more than two mm. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein a side surface of a step formed by the surface of said top plate, and a bottom of a gap between a side surface of the substrate and said top plate has an inclined surface not perpendicular to a surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein a difference between a surface of the substrate and the surface of said top plate is not more than four mm. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein a side surface of a step formed by the surface of said top plate, and a bottom of a gap between a side surface of the substrate and said top plate has an inclined surface not perpendicular to a surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein a difference between a surface of the substrate and the surface of said top plate is not more than four mm. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the side surface of the step formed by the surface of said top plate, and the bottom of the gap between the side surface of the substrate and said top plate has an inclined surface not perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the difference between the surface of the substrate and the surface of said top plate is not more than four mm. 
     
     
       23. A scanning exposure apparatus comprising: 
       a chuck for holding a substrate for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate,  
       the apparatus comprising:  
       a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;  
       a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover;  
       a top plate which is mounted on said stage and has a surface substantially flush with a surface of the substrate; and  
       a vent hole which communicates with a gap between a side surface of the substrate and said top plate, and is larger in volume than the gap,  
       wherein a dimension from the side surface of the substrate to an outer edge of said top plate is larger than that of a substrate-side opening of said cover in a scanning direction.  
     
     
       24. The apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein a side surface of a step formed by the surface of said top plate, and a bottom of a gap between the side surface of the substrate and said top plate has an inclined surface not perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein a difference between the surface of the substrate and the surface of said top plate is not more than four mm. 
     
     
       26. An exposure apparatus comprising: 
       a chuck for holding a substrate;  
       a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;  
       a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas; and  
       a top plate which is mounted on said stage and forms a surface substantially flush with a surface of the substrate,  
       wherein a gap between a side surface of the substrate and the surface of said top plate is smaller in width than a gap between a side surface of said chuck and said top plate.  
     
     
       27. The apparatus according to  claim 26 , wherein a side surface of a step formed by the surface of said top plate, and a bottom of a gap between the side surface of the substrate and said top plate has an inclined surface not perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       28. The apparatus according to  claim 26 , wherein a difference between the surface of the substrate and the surface of said top plate is not more than four mm. 
     
     
       29. A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate, the apparatus comprising: 
       a chuck for holding a substrate;  
       a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;  
       a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a first supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover;  
       a top plate which is mounted on said stage and forms a surface flush with a surface of the substrate; and  
       a second supply port for supplying inert gas into a gap formed between a side surface of the substrate and said top plate;  
       wherein a dimension from the side surface of the substrate to an outer edge of said top plate is larger than that of a substrate-side opening of said cover in a scanning direction.  
     
     
       30. The apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein a side surface of a step formed by the surface of said top plate, and a bottom of a gap between the side surface of the substrate and said top plate has an inclined surface not perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       31. The apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein a difference between the surface of the substrate and the surface of said top plate is not more than four mm. 
     
     
       32. An exposure apparatus comprising: 
       a chuck for holding a substrate;  
       a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;  
       a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas;  
       a top plate which is mounted on said stage and forms a surface flush with a surface of the substrate; and  
       a vent hole which makes a gap between a side surface of the substrate and said top plate communicate with the surface of said top plate.  
     
     
       33. The apparatus according to  claim 32 , wherein a side surface of a step formed by the surface of said top plate, and a bottom of a gap between the side surface of the substrate and said top plate has an inclined surface not perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       34. The apparatus according to  claim 32 , wherein a difference between the surface of the substrate and the surface of said top plate is not more than four mm. 
     
     
       35. An exposure apparatus comprising: 
       a chuck for holding a substrate;  
       a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;  
       a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas;  
       a top plate which is mounted on said stage and forms a surface flush with a surface of the substrate; and  
       a vent hole which makes a gap between a side surface of the substrate and said top plate communicate with a side surface, of said stage, substantially parallel to a scan direction of said stage.  
     
     
       36. The apparatus according to  claim 35 , wherein a side surface of a step formed by the surface of said top plate, and a bottom of a gap between the side surface of the substrate and said top plate has an inclined surface not perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       37. The apparatus according to  claim 35 , wherein a difference between the surface of the substrate and the surface of said top plate is not more than four mm. 
     
     
       38. An exposure apparatus comprising: 
       a chuck for holding a substrate;  
       a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;  
       a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas; and  
       a top plate which is mounted on said stage to hold said chuck,  
       wherein a side surface of said chuck has an inclined surface.  
     
     
       39. An exposure apparatus comprising: 
       a chuck for holding a substrate;  
       a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;  
       a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas; and  
       a top plate which is mounted on said stage to hold said chuck,  
       wherein a side surface of said top plate has an inclined surface.  
     
     
       40. A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate, the apparatus comprising: 
       a chuck for holding a substrate;  
       a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;  
       a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover; and  
       a top plate which is mounted on said stage and has a surface substantially flush with a surface of the substrate,  
       wherein a shorter-side direction of an opening of said cover is substantially parallel to a scan direction of said stage, said top plate is arranged to form a gap between said top plate and a side surface of the substrate, and a depth of the gap is not less than a width of the gap.  
     
     
       41. A scanning exposure apparatus for exposure with a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate, the apparatus comprising: 
       a chuck for holding a substrate;  
       a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;  
       a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover, and  
       a top plate which is mounted on said stage and has a surface substantially flush with a substrate support surface of said chuck,  
       wherein a shorter-side direction of an opening of said cover is substantially parallel to a scan direction of said stage.  
     
     
       42. The apparatus according to  claim 41 , wherein 
       said chuck and said top plate are arranged to form a gap between a side surface of said chuck and said top plate, and  
       said exposure apparatus further comprises a vent hole which communicates with the gap and is larger in volume than the gap.  
     
     
       43. A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate, the apparatus comprising: 
       a chuck for holding a substrate;  
       a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;  
       a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover; and  
       a top plate which is mounted on said stage and has a surface substantially flush with a surface of said stage on which said chuck is held,  
       wherein a shorter-side direction of an opening is substantially parallel to a scan direction of said stage.  
     
     
       44. A scanning exposure apparatus comprising: 
       a chuck for holding a substrate for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate;  
       the apparatus comprising:  
       a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;  
       a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover;  
       a top plate which is mounted on said stage and has a surface substantially flush with a surface of the substrate; and  
       a vent hole which communicates with a gap between a side surface of the substrate and said top plate, and is larger in volume than the gap,  
       wherein a shorter-side direction of an opening is substantially parallel to a scan direction of said stage.  
     
     
       45. A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate, the apparatus comprising: 
       a chuck for holding a substrate;  
       a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;  
       a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a first supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover;  
       a top plate which is mounted on said stage and forms a surface flush with a surface of the substrate; and  
       a second supply port for supplying inert gas into a gap formed between a side surface of the substrate and said top plate,  
       wherein a shorter-side direction of an opening is substantially parallel to a scan direction of said stage.  
     
     
       46. The apparatus according to any one of claims  40 - 45 , wherein said optical system includes a projection optical system, and the substrate includes a member coated with a photosensitive agent. 
     
     
       47. The apparatus according to any one of claims  40 - 45 , wherein said optical system includes an illumination optical system, and the substrate includes a master having a pattern. 
     
     
       48. The apparatus according to any one of claims  40 - 45 , wherein said supply port includes at least one nozzle. 
     
     
       49. The apparatus according to any one of claims  40 - 45 , wherein said supply port also serves as said cover. 
     
     
       50. The apparatus according to any one of claims  40 - 45 , wherein said mechanism further comprises a recovery port for discharging purge gas from inside of said cover. 
     
     
       51. The apparatus according to any one of claims  40 - 45 , wherein said cover includes an air curtain formed from inert gas. 
     
     
       52. The apparatus according to any one of claims  26 - 28 ,  32 ,  33 ,  35  and  37 - 39 , wherein said mechanism has a cover for covering an exposure optical path from a substrate-side lower end of an optical system to a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover. 
     
     
       53. The apparatus according to  claim 52 , wherein said optical system includes a projection optical system, and the substrate includes a member coated with a photosensitive agent. 
     
     
       54. The apparatus according to  claim 52 , wherein said optical system includes an illumination optical system, and the substrate includes a master having a pattern. 
     
     
       55. The apparatus according to  claim 52 , wherein said supply port includes at least one nozzle. 
     
     
       56. The apparatus according to  claim 52 , wherein said supply port also serves as said cover. 
     
     
       57. The apparatus according to  claim 52 , wherein said mechanism further comprises a recovery port for discharging purge gas from inside of said cover. 
     
     
       58. The apparatus according to  claim 42 , wherein said cover includes an air curtain formed from inert gas. 
     
     
       59. The apparatus according to any one claims  1 - 45 , wherein the inert gas includes any one of nitrogen, helium, and argon. 
     
     
       60. The apparatus according to any one of claims  1 - 45 , wherein said top plate is integrated with said stage. 
     
     
       61. The apparatus according to any one of claims  1 - 45 , wherein the exposure light includes ultraviolet rays. 
     
     
       62. The apparatus according to  claim 61 , wherein the ultraviolet rays are provided by a laser beam from a laser serving as a light source. 
     
     
       63. The apparatus according to  claim 62 , wherein the laser includes one of a fluorine and an ArF excimer laser. 
     
     
       64. A device manufacturing method comprising the steps of: 
       installing, in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, manufacturing apparatuses, for performing various processes, including the exposure apparatus defined in any one of claims  1 - 45 ; and  
       manufacturing a semiconductor device by performing a plurality of processes using the manufacturing apparatuses.  
     
     
       65. The method according to  claim 64 , further comprising the steps of: 
       connecting the manufacturing apparatuses via a local area network; and  
       communicating information about at least one of the manufacturing apparatuses between the local area network and an external network outside the semiconductor manufacturing factory.  
     
     
       66. The method according to  claim 64 , further comprising performing one of (i) accessing a database provided by a vendor or user of the exposure apparatus by data communication via the external network, thereby obtaining maintenance information of the exposure apparatus, and (ii) performing data communication between the semiconductor manufacturing factory and another semiconductor manufacturing factory via the external network, thereby performing production management. 
     
     
       67. A semiconductor manufacturing factory comprising: 
       manufacturing apparatuses, for performing various processes, including the exposure apparatus defined in any one of  claim 1 - 45 ;  
       a local area network for connecting said manufacturing apparatuses; and  
       a gateway for allowing access to an external network outside said factory from said local area network,  
       wherein information about at least one of said manufacturing apparatuses is communicated.  
     
     
       68. A maintenance method for the exposure apparatus defined in any one of claims  1 - 45 , which is installed in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, the maintenance method comprising the steps of: 
       making a vendor or user of the exposure apparatus provide a maintenance database connected to an external network outside the semiconductor manufacturing factory;  
       allowing access to the maintenance database from the semiconductor manufacturing factory via the external network; and  
       transmitting maintenance information accumulated in the maintenance database to the semiconductor manufacturing factory via the external network.  
     
     
       69. The apparatus according to any one of claims  1 - 45 , wherein the apparatus further comprises: 
       a display;  
       a network interface; and  
       a computer for executing network access software,  
       wherein said display, said network interface, and said computer enable communicating maintenance information of the exposure apparatus via a computer network.  
     
     
       70. The apparatus according to  claim 69 , wherein said network software provides on said display said user interface for accessing a maintenance database provided by a vendor or user of said exposure apparatus and connected to the external network outside a factory in which said exposure apparatus is installed, and information is obtained from the database via said external network.